Rotterdam The Hague Airport (formerwy Rotterdam Airport, Vwiegvewd Zestienhoven in Dutch), (IATA: RTM, ICAO: EHRD) wocated 3 NM (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) norf nordwest[1] of Rotterdam in Souf Howwand, Nederwands, is de dird busiest airport in de Nederwands. It serves de cities of Rotterdam and The Hague and deir regions. The airport handwed over 2.1 miwwion passengers in 2019 and features scheduwed fwights to European metropowitan and weisure destinations. It is awso used extensivewy by generaw aviation and dere are severaw fwying cwubs, a skydiving cwub and a fwight training schoow wocated at de airport.

After Worwd War II, de Dutch government decided dat a second nationaw airport was needed in addition to Schiphow. Rotterdam had had an airport before de war - Waawhaven airport - but it was heaviwy damaged in de German bombing of Rotterdam, and was water compwetewy destroyed to prevent it from being used by de Germans. Reconstruction of de airport was not a reawistic proposition, so a new wocation was found in de Zestienhovenpowder, giving de airport its name.[3]

Construction of de airport began in August 1955 and de airport was officiawwy opened in October 1956. Severaw warge internationaw airwines, such as Swissair, Lufdansa, Air France, Channew Airways, and British Air Ferries (Channew Air Bridge) were soon operating to Rotterdam. However, in de 1970s pwans were made to eider cwose or move de airport to make space for housing. Its uncertain future hawted de airport's growf and wed to many operators weaving.[3]

For awmost dirty years de airport faced cwosure, but de economic growf of de 1990s caused an increase in passengers again and in 2001 it was decided dat de airport's current wocation wouwd be maintained for at weast a century.

The route wif de wongest continuaw service, to London Headrow and operated by KLM Cityhopper, was suspended in 2008. This marked de end of KLM's invowvement wif de airport. However, in December 2012, British Airways began a service to Rotterdam from Headrow.[4] In October 2014 British Airways announced dey wouwd suspend de route again in March 2015.[5] British Airways now fwies to Rotterdam from London City Airport.[6]

The name of de airport was changed from Zestienhoven to Rotterdam Airport and finawwy in 2010 to its current name Rotterdam The Hague Airport.

Most fwights today are operated by smawwer mainwine jets such as de Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 series or de Embraer 190. There is awso a fair amount of business aviation, uh-hah-hah-hah. State and miwitary aircraft awso use de airport freqwentwy, dis due to The Hague being de seat of de Dutch government and awso housing various oder internationaw institutions such as de Internationaw Criminaw Court.[7] Wif de cwosure of nearby Ypenburg Airport in 1992 and Vawkenburg Navaw Air Base in 2006, Rotterdam The Hague airport is now de onwy remaining airport in de area for dose types of fwights.

The airport experienced significant growf in de 2010s, doubwing passenger numbers from 1,000,858 in 2010 to 2,133,976 in 2019.